May 01, 2017

Twenty-First Annual Mentor Awards Presented

For 21 years the law school has been recognizing participants in our formal mentor program between local attorneys and current students.

For 21 years the law school has been recognizing participants in our formal mentor programs between local attorneys and current students. This year, the Twenty-First Annual Mentor Awards presentation was held on April 13th, 2017 in the Wine Cellar at Pazzo Ristorante. Several mentors were recognized for the generosity of time, commitment, and friendship they have provided to their student mentees throughout the 2016-17 school year.  

First-Year Outstanding Mentor Awards:

Five mentors who worked with first year students were selected for recognition as outstanding mentors. The award recipients were each nominated by their mentees, who described how their mentors went above and beyond to support and advise them in their first year in law school. Mentees praised their mentors for inviting them to events in the legal community, for being generous with their time, and for their support and advice through the twists and turns of their 1L year.

The recipients of the First Year Outstanding Mentor Awards were Tiffany Johnson ’14, who mentored Elizabeth Graves; Sara Sayles ’08, who mentored Lucy Yates; Jeff Maslow ’11, who mentored Max Yoklic; and Matt Kirkpatrick, who mentored Aaron Lubarsky-Ford.

Andrea Swanner Redding Outstanding Mentor Award:

The Andrea Swanner Redding Outstanding Mentor award, named in honor of one of the founders of the Law School’s Mentor Program, was presented to Sheeba Suhaskumar ’14. Sheeba was nominated by her mentee, 2L Grace Giampietro. In her nomination, Grace wrote that Sheeba has been an outstanding mentor who has created networking opportunities that Grace would not have engaged in without Sheeba’s encouragement. The two met frequently, and Sheeba included Grace in events such as Hispanic Bar Association and Oregon Women Lawyers Society events. Grace feels that Sheeba helped her come out of her shell, and wrote, “my second year of law school has been a lot more enjoyable because of her, and she deserves such recognition.”

Outstanding Mentee Award:

In addition to the awards presented to mentors, the law school invites mentors to nominate those student mentees who went above and beyond to make the mentoring experience a positive one for themselves and for their mentor. This year, mentor Tiffany Johnson ’14 nominated 1L Elizabeth Graves as Outstanding Mentee, noting that Elizabeth’s professionalism and commitment to the mentoring relationship impressed Tiffany from their first meeting.

We are grateful to all the alumni and friends who generously give of their time to help and support our students.